1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to gaming devices that provide communication capabilities and enhanced gaming functions on a gaming machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
Casinos derive a large portion of their revenues from electronic gaming machines including mechanical and video slot machines. The operating costs associated with maintaining electronic gaming machines is an important factor to casino operators. To maximize their profitability, casino operators wish to minimize the electronic gaming machine operating costs.
A significant component of the operating costs is related to the performance of maintenance operations requiring access to the interior of a gaming machine. For instance, access to the interior of the gaming machine is needed to periodically remove cash from the gaming machine, such as coins in a drop box or bills stored in a bill stacker. As another example, access to the interior of the gaming machine is needed to periodically replenish paper used to print ticket vouchers for cashless gaming applications.
For security and regulatory purposes, electronic gaming machines include a number of locked enclosures that are monitored by an internal security system. The locked enclosures and security system help to prevent unauthorized access to resources within the electronic gaming machine that may be targets of theft or tampering, such as deposited money or gaming software. To address a maintenance issue that requires access to interior portions of the gaming machine, often two or more keys carried by separate individuals can be required. During the performance of the maintenance operation in the interior, one individual not performing the maintenance may be required to watch the other individual performing the maintenance operation. Thus, a significant contributor to the gaming machine operating costs is labor costs associated with maintenance.
Besides labor costs, while the gaming machine is being maintained it is not available for game play. Thus, revenue is lost which also contributes to the operating costs. Further, some maintenance operations, such as replenishing blank tickets that can be used to print redeemable ticket vouchers involve material costs. Thus, some maintenance operations contribute both material costs and labor costs to the gaming machine operating costs.
Balanced against minimizing operating costs are providing functions that make the machines more convenient for a player to use and encourage repeated use of the machines. For instance, a bill validator on a gaming machine is not required and its use increases gaming machine operating costs. However, the availability of a bill validator makes a gaming machine more convenient for a player to use which outweighs the additional operating costs associated with the bill validator. As other example, loyalty programs and associated hardware that allow for player rewards and a personalization of a gaming session increases operating costs. Nevertheless, it has been found that these features make a game play session more satisfying to players such that the average amount of game play or the amount of repeat business from a typical player is increased. The increase in game play or repeat business outweighs the operating costs associated with providing these features.
Thus, in view of the above, apparatus and method are desired that either reduce gaming machine operating costs or provide new features with benefits to players that outweigh the additional operation costs associated with providing the new features.